Electric switch.



C. H. HILL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. 1914.

Patented July 2, 1918.

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CHARLES H. HILL, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to electric switches adapted for use upon theatrical or similar switchboards.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved electric switch. More specifically the object of my invention is to generally improve electric switches for use upon theatrical or other switchboards of similar character.

Upon modern theatrical switchboards, it is essential that the operating switches mounted thereupon be easily and very quickly operated either individually or in any number simultaneously, the question of facility of operation being a very important factor. Owing to the liability of persons coming in contact with the switchboard, it is also essential that all live parts of the switches be suitably protected. Due to the minimum space usually alloted to theatrical switchboards, these requirements are very hard to meet with the types of switches now in use.

The novel features which I believed to be characteristic of my invention will be defi- H. HILL,

' nitely indicated in the claims appended hereto, the features of construction and mode of operation will be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments ofmy new invention and in which Figure 1 is a front view of a switchboard panel showing mounted thereon, operating switches embodying the novel features of my invention; Fig. 2 is a back View of the switchboard shown in Fig. 1; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views of my novel and improved operating switch.

In Fig. l is shown a switchboard panel 1 upon which is suitably mounted a plurality of my novel operating switches arranged 1n three sets, each set of switches being operated by a common operating or master lever 2. Each master lever 2 actuates a common operating rod 3 for the switches whereby each set of switches can be operated si multaneously.

Each switch is provided with a shaft 4, best shown in Fig. 5, which extends through the panel 1. Secured to the shaft 4 on one side of the panel 1, is a contact member or members 5 adapted to open or close the 'circuit through the switch. The contact member or Fig. 2, are of the movable knife blade type and cooperate with the fixed contact or contacts 6. Each switch has one or more cooperating movable and fixed contact members depending upon the number of phases of the circuit to be controlled, each pair of cooperating movable and fixed contact members controlling the circuit through one phase and constituting one pole of the switch. All the movable contact members 5 are secured to the shaft 4 and are movable simultaneously into and out of engagement with their respective fixed contacts 6 by an operating arm 7 securely mounted on the shaft 4 upon the other'side of the panel 1. The cooperating fixed and movable contact members 5 and 6 of each switch are secured to an insulating support mounted'uponthe back of the switchboard panel 1 and are arranged to move into-and Out of switch closing position in a plane parallel to the panel 1. By this arrangement, the contact members 5 extend the same distance from the back of the panel 1 whether they are in open or in closed position thus obviating the necessity of an extra space in back of the switchboard to allow for the type of switches which open in a plane at right angles to the switchboard. The insulating support for the contact members 5 is arranged to extend a suflicient distance from the panel 1 to amply protect the contact members 5 so that a person in back of the panel 1 is always suitably protected from coming in contact with the live portions of the switch.

The operating member for my novel operating switch comprises an operating arm 7 secured to the shaft 4 0n the other side of the panel from the contact memberv 5. The

. operating arm 7 is also movable in a plane parallel to the panel '1 thus economizing space which'otherwise would be necessary for operating members which move in a plane at right angles to the panel. The operating arm 7 is provided with a slot or latching recess 8, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described. Loosely members 5, shown in mounted upon the shaft 4, adjacent the operating arm 7, is a link 9 which is pivotally secured, at one end, to the common operating rod The link 9 is provided with a slot or recess 10 adapted to be in alinement or to register with the latching recess 8 of operating arm 7.

Operatively related to the operating arm 7 is a handle 11 for moving the arm, having at its lower end an extension or lug 12 preferably integrally related therewith. The handle 11 is slidably mounted upon a pin or rod 13 secured to the shaft 1 and is arranged to be normally held by the spring 14:, in the position in which the lug 12 is in engagement with the registering recesses 8 and 10. In raising the handle 11 against the action of the spring 14: the lug 12 is withdrawn from engagement with the recesses 8 and 10 and is held out of engagement with the recesses by turning the handle on the rod 13, ninety degrees in either direction. The lug 12, in this position, is unable to engage with either of the recesses 8 or 10 so that when the handle 11 is released, the lug 12 comes into engagement with the fiat portion 15 of the operating arm 7 and is firmly held in this position by the increased tension exerted upon the spring 14. By this arrangement of the operating arm 7 and its cooperating handle 11. each switch may be operated individually and independently of its master lever 2.

The operation of my novel and improved switch may be described as follows: Assume, for illustration, that a switchboard panel such as shown in Fig. 1 has mounted thereon three sets of my novel switches, each set controlled from a master lever 2. Assume also that the handles 11 for each switch are in normal position, that is, with the lugs 12 in engagement with the registering recesses 8 and 10. The operating arms 7 of each switch are therefore locked to their respective links 9 as shown by the two upper sets of switches in Fig. 1 and by Fig. 3. As the links 9 are connected to the common operating rods 8, each set of switches are now moved simultaneously into circuit closing or circuit opening position by the operation of the master levers 2. The operating arms 7 and contact members 5 move into and out of switch closing in planes parallel to the panel 1 and therefore, extend no farther from the panel 1 in one position than in another, thus economizing space both in front and back of the switchboard. As has been heretofore described, the switches have their live parts fully protected both in front and back of the switchboard so that I provide a switchboard which is dead front and dead back.

If an operator desires to operate any switch individually, the switch can be disconnected from the operating rod 3 and from the action of the master lever 2 by raising its handle 11 against the action of spring 13 until the lug 12 is out of engagement with the registering recesses 8 and 10 and then turning the handle upon its pin 13, mnety degrees in either direction or until the long face of the lug is toward the operator. The handle is then released in this position and, under the increased tension exerted by the spring 13,'comes into engagement with the flat" portion 15 of the operating arm 7. The lug 12, in this position, will not engage with either the recess 9 or the recess 10. The

switch can now be actuated individually, by-

merely moving the operating arm 7 by. the handle 11 in a plane parallel to the panel as is shown in Flgs. 4 and 5. The operating arm 7 and shaft 4 now move free from the link 9 as the lug 12 is out of engagement with the recess 10. Any number of the switches can be thus individually operated at the will of the operator. The links 9 of the switches are always operated by the master levers 2- but as the links are loosely mounted upon the shaft 4 only those switches are actuated, which have their operating arms 7 locked to their links 9 by the lugs 12 of handles 11. In Figs. 1 and 2 the switch A is shown in individually operated position. into circuit opening position but switch A still remains in circuit closing position as indicated by its handle 11 in Fig. 1 and by the contact member 5 in Fig, 2.

My invention may be embodied in other forms than that shown and described and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the precise construction shown but intend to cover by the appended claims all changes and modifications which are within the scope of my invention and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination with an operating rod, an electric switch comprising a link movable by said rod and having a slot therein, an operating arm for said switch having a slot therein adapted to register with the slot of said link, and a movably positioned handle adapted in one position to engage said registering slots whereby said switch is operated in response to said operating rod and in another position to be held out of engagement with said slots to move said switch independent of said operating rod.

2. An electric switch comprising a contact member, a shaft operatively related to said contact member, an operating arm secured to said shaft and having a latching recess, a link loosely mounted on said shaft having a recess adapted to register with the latching recess of said operating arm, an operating rod to whichsaid link is operatively related, and a movably positioned handle member mounted on said shaft and having a member integral therewith adapted The master lever 2 has been moved in one position of said handle to enga e with said registering recesses, and in anot er position to be held out of engagement with said recesses.

3. An electric switch comprising a shaft, a link loosely mounted on said shaft having a recess therein, an operating rod for actuating said link an operating and secured to said shaft and having a recess therein adapted to register with the recess of said link, and a movably positioned handle member having an integral portion thereof adapted in one position of said handle to engage with said registering recesses whereby said switch is controlled by said operating rod and in another position of said handle to hold said portion out of engagement with said recesses to move said operating arm independent of said operating rod.

4:. An electric switch comprising a contact member, an operating arm provided with a slot, an operating rod, a link connected at one end to said rod and provided at the other end with a slot adapted to register with the slot of said operating arm, and a movably positioned handle member provided with a lug which in one position of the bandle engages said registering slots and in another position of the handle is held out of engagement with said slots.

5. An electric switch comprising a contact member, an operating arm provided with a slot, an operating rod, a link connected at one end to said rod and provided at the other end with a slot adapted to register with the slot of said operating arm, a handle carried by said operating arm and movably positioned thereon, and a lug carried by said handle which in one position of the handle bridges the slot of said operating arm and in another position of said handle engages the registering slots of said link and operating arm.

6. An electric switch comprising an 'operating rod, a link movable by said operating rod and adapted to connect said switch to said rod, said link being provided at one end with a slot, an operating arm provided with a slot adapted to register with the slot of said link, and a movably positioned handle member controllin the movement of said operating arm, sai handle when in one position causing said switch to be actuated in response to said operating rod and when turned ninety degrees from said first mentioned position causing said switch to be operated independent of said operating rod.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of May, 1914.

CHARLES H. HILL. 

